Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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November 20

New York Post

"Dwayne Roloson wanted to get an idea of what he would be getting into before he signed with the Islanders in the offseason, so he reached out to former Minnesota teammate Richard Park for insight. "I didn't recruit Dwayne," Park said. "I just told him where we were as a team and where we could possibly get to with a few additions." Park said that after the conversation, "I knew he was coming here." The arrival of Roloson has worked out for all parties so far. Not many teams were willing to give the 40-year-old a two-year deal, as the Isles did, but the move is paying off. Roloson enters tonight's game in Minnesota (8:00, MSG Plus, WMJC 94.3 FM) having lost just one of his 12 starts in ..."

Moulson nets 2 in Islanders' win

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November 18

New York Post

"Matt Moulson was perfectly happy to have his first career two-goal game. He didn't need a hat trick — especially one he didn't deserve. Moulson scored twice — and was temporarily credited with a third — on Monday night to lead the Islanders to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. He was given New York's third goal for doing nothing more than raising his arms in celebration after John Tavares scored, but the right player was credited on review. "I'm not going to take that one," said Moulson, who has 10 goals this season — more than he had his entire career while bouncing back and forth to the minors in the previous two years. "He got a good bounce there. I was trying for it but I just ..."

Moulson nets 2 for Islanders

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November 17

New York Post

"Matt Moulson was perfectly happy to have his first career two-goal game. He didn't need a hat trick -- especially one he didn't deserve. Moulson scored twice -- and was temporarily credited with a third -- last night to lead the Islanders to a 4-1 victory over the Bruins. He was given the Islanders' third goal for doing nothing more than raising his arms in celebration after John Tavares scored, but the right player was credited on review. "I'm not going to take that one," said Moulson, who has 10 goals this season -- more than he had his entire career while bouncing back and forth to the minors in the previous two years. "He got a good bounce there. I was trying for it but I just couldn't ..."

Moulson scores twice in Isles' 4-1 win over Bruins

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November 17

Boston Globe

"Matt Moulson was perfectly happy to have his first career two-goal game. He didn't need a hat trick -- especially one he didn't deserve. Moulson scored twice -- and was temporarily credited with a third -- on Monday night to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. He was given New York's third goal for doing nothing more than raising his arms in celebration after John Tavares scored, but the right player was credited on review."

Islanders' Scott Gordon prospers

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November 17

Boston Herald

"During his five years as coach of the Bruins' AHL affiliate in Providence, Scott Gordon had many backers who believed he would be an outstanding NHL coach. Year One behind the bench of the New York Islanders was something of a struggle as the Isles, despite an admirable work ethic and no-quit attitude, were just 26-47-9. The Isles still try hard, and recently have been rewarded fairly well. After starting the season 1-4-3, Gordon's team had earned at least a point in 10 of its past 12 games entering last night's clash with the Bruins at the Garden, going 6-2-4. The young team likely faces an uphill climb to get a playoff berth, but there's no doubt the Brockton and Boston College product ..."

Islanders leave Bruins on

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November 17

Boston Herald

"Who could have imagined we would reach the one-quarter mark of the NHL season and be pondering the possibility that the New York Islanders will be in the playoffs? And that the Bruins will not? But it's a legitimate scenario after the Islanders continued their strong play with a 4-1 win against the flat, emotionless Bruins last night at the Garden. The B's have allowed 10 goals in their past two games. Their solid team defense has vanished, they fell to 8-8-4, and a number of players are struggling. They played with real intensity and desperation only in the third period, and every B's fan, along with coach Claude Julien, would love to understand how the team could be so flat and ..."

Rising Isles not SO great

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November 16

New York Post

"As unexpected as the Islanders' competitive start has been, it could have been even better. They head into tonight's game in Boston having begun their seven-game road trip with two shootout losses and an overtime win. Their struggles in the OT and the shootout have plagued them throughout the season. The Isles' 5-4 loss in Florida on Saturday night dropped them to 1-4 in shootouts and 3-7 in games that don't end in regulation this year. More success in those situations and the Isles wouldn't merely be in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference. Still, they have to be pleased with how they are doing as they prepare to face the Bruins, losers of two straight. And their play on this ..."

Canes' winless streak reaches 14

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November 14

Raleigh News & Observer

"There will be more talk of the Carolina Hurricanes' winless streak. There has to be. It still continues after the Canes' 4-3 overtime loss to the New York Islanders on Friday at the RBC Center. The Hurricanes can't escape the fact they have not won in 14 games, that they now have tied the franchise record for the longest winless streak. Unless they can beat the Minnesota Wild on Sunday at the RBC Center, the Canes will be holders of the franchise's worst such streak of futility. But the loss to the Islanders was a bit easier to take. Just a bit. Kyle Okposo's goal with 14.4 seconds left in overtime, after he picked off defenseman Bryan Rodney's cross-ice pass in the Carolina zone, left ..."

Islanders' rehabbing goalie answers critics

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November 14

New York Post

"With the Islanders in Carolina, preparing to play yet another game without their franchise goalie tonight, Rick DiPietro was working out at Iceworks in Syosset yesterday, still likely at least a month away from his return to an NHL game. The 28-year-old is acutely aware that he has become known more for his propensity for getting injured than the fact that he's a former All-Star. "I have to keep telling myself that I have a lot of years left and not to push too much and put myself in jeopardy," said DiPietro, who is in the fourth year of his 15-year deal and is still recovering from knee surgery after being limited to five games last season. "The one thing that frustrates me is when people ..."

Islanders' rehabbing Rick answers critics

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November 13

New York Post

"With the Islanders in Carolina, preparing to play yet another game without their franchise goalie tonight, Rick DiPietro was working out at Iceworks in Syosset yesterday, still likely at least a month away from his return to an NHL game. The 28-year-old is acutely aware that he has become known more for his propensity for getting injured than the fact that he's a former All-Star. "I have to keep telling myself that I have a lot of years left and not to push too much and put myself in jeopardy," said DiPietro, who is in the fourth year of his 15-year deal and is still recovering from knee surgery after being limited to five games last season. "The one thing that frustrates me is when people ..."

History in the Atlantic?

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November 13

Camden Courier-Post

"Could history be in the making in the Atlantic Division? Since the NHL realigned its divisional format in 1998, no division has placed all five teams in the playoffs. It could happen this season. Entering Thursday night's action, the Penguins, Rangers, Devils and Flyers all held playoff positions, while the Islanders were in a three-way tie for the eighth in the conference. "It doesn't surprise me," said Flyers center Blair Betts, who spent the previous four seasons with the Rangers. "The Rangers, the Flyers, the Penguins and the Devils have had pretty strong teams over the past few years and the Islanders are a young, gritty team with a lot of hard workers, so I kind of expected that. In ..."

Islanders lose in 11th round of shootout

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November 12

New York Post

"The Islanders didn't have to face Alex Ovechkin, the Capitals top scorer, but it didn't matter, because Washington keeps finding different ways to win. Chris Clark scored the deciding goal in the 11th round of the shootout, and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov came on in relief and carried the Capitals to a 5-4 comeback victory over the Islanders last night. "Alex is the best player in the league, and he's going to get the ice time that he deserves," Clark said. "But if he goes down, there's a lot of ice time to share. So I think the guys are definitely putting the effort in and showing that they can do it when you give them a chance." Ovechkin has missed four games because of an upper body ..."

Capitals beat Islanders in 11-round shootout

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November 12

Boston Herald

"Chris Clark scored the deciding goal in the 11th round of the shootout, and backup goalie Semyon Varlamov came on in relief and carried the Capitals to a 5-4 comeback victory against the New York Islanders last night in Washington. Alexander Semin scored two regulation goals and one in the second round of the shootout for the Capitals, who played their fourth straight game without top scorer Alex Ovechkin (upper body strain). Semin gave the Capitals a 1-0 lead just eight seconds in, but the Islanders ended starting goalie Jose Theodore's night with three quick goals. New York scored three times on five shots against Theodore. Varlamov stopped 24-of-25 shots and then sealed the win by ..."

Isles' Okposo sits out with swine flu

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November 11

New York Post

"Just in time for a seven-game road trip, Kyle Okposo became the second Islander to come down with swine flu. Okposo, perhaps the team's top all-around player, was diagnosed yesterday and figures to miss most of the trip. Doug Weight was out for three games last month with the same illness, which has hit several teams around the league. To make matters worse for the Isles, who begin their trip tonight against the Capitals and are trying to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference, they also learned yesterday that Weight, who they previously thought would be out 7-10 days with an upper-body injury, will be gone for 4-6 weeks. The absence of both forwards likely means more ice time for Blake ..."

Islanders set goals for Rick

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November 10

New York Post

"Rick DiPietro's slow comeback from injury should take another step forward today, when the goalie is scheduled to practice on consecutive days for the first time this season. "After that, we'll see how he is [tomorrow]," Islanders coach Scott Gordon said of the goalie, who hasn't played since last year when he was limited to five games because of a surgically repaired knee. His return to the team is still far off, meaning Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron will continue to split time in net."

Isles fill nets but will miss Martinek

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November 8

New York Post

"On a day when the Islanders learned that they lost one of their top defenseman for the year, they put on their best offensive performance of the season. Getting goals from six different players, the Isles pounded the Thrashers, 6-3, at the Coliseum, hours after they announced that Radek Martinek had a torn ACL in his right knee, suffered in Friday's loss to the Devils. The team made up for his absence, at least for one night, by blasting Atlanta with a season-high 45 shots. "This was probably the most jump than we've had in any other game," said Scott Gordon, whose team had followed a four-game winning streak with two straight losses. Last night's win was especially important since their ..."

Devs top Isles in Elias' return

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November 7

New York Post

"Finally getting their Newark act together, the Devils go back on the road tonight, where they've been perfect. They won their second straight at home, and third in four there last night, nipping the Islanders 2-1 as Patrik Elias made his season debut from surgery. Elias won't be with them tonight in Ottawa when they try to become only the second team in NHL history to win their first eight road games of the season, which would only trail the 2006 Sabres' record of 10. They're starting to gain results at home like they have on the road, but there were no celebrations. "Whoop-de-do," Jamie Langenbrunner said. "You're supposed to win your games at home. This one was not easy, but it's been ..."

Elias tempers hopes for return to ice

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November 6

New York Post

"Urging caution, Patrik Elias says the Devils shouldn't expect a repeat of his season-saving comeback of 2006. The franchise's career points leader may make his season debut tonight when the Islanders visit Newark (7 p.m., MSG+/MSG+2, WFAN, WMJC), returning from two rounds of summertime surgery. The Devils will be without center Rob Niedermayer, who left Wednesday's 3-2 triumph over the Capitals with an upper body injury. Both Elias and Jacques Lemaire said Niedermayer's absence won't affect the decision on Elias tonight, but Lemaire had him practicing at center yesterday. When Elias returned from Hepatitis A, which he contracted during the lockout, on Jan. 3, 2006, the Devils were a game ..."

Sabres bounce back, shut out Islanders

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November 6

Buffalo News

"There might be something to this whole "don't lose two games in a row" thing. During the Buffalo Sabres' previous two seasons, the motto rang hollow. They couldn't stop losing streaks from happening. Judging by their lack of conviction when invoking the catchphrase, it sounded like they knew it. This season is different. They seem to sincerely believe they can win every night if they play their game. So far, some of their best games have come after losses. The Sabres responded to a 5-0 shutout against the New York Islanders with a shutout of their own. Ryan Miller made 24 saves and Derek Roy scored his first goal of the season to help Buffalo to a 3-0 victory over New York. "That's what ..."

Isles' win streak snapped

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November 5

New York Post

"The Islanders can't win them all. Ryan Miller made 24 saves for his second shutout of the season and 14th overall, and Thomas Vanek had a goal and assist in the Sabres' 3-0 victory over the Islanders last night. The Islanders were attempting to win five in a row for the first time since a six-game run in February 2008. Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad also scored to help the Sabres (9-2-1) rebound from a 5-0 loss to the Islanders on Saturday on Long Island."

Sabres bounce back, shut out Islanders

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November 5

Buffalo News

"There might be something to this whole "don't lose two games in a row" thing. During the Buffalo Sabres' previous two seasons, the motto rang hollow. They couldn't stop losing streaks from happening. Judging by their lack of conviction when invoking the catchphrase, it sounded like they knew it. This season is different. They seem to sincerely believe they can win every night if they play their game. So far, some of their best games have come after losses. The Sabres responded to a 5-0 shutout against the New York Islanders with a shutout of their own. Ryan Miller made 24 saves and Derek Roy scored his first goal of the season to help Buffalo to a 3-0 victory over New York. "That's what ..."

Suddenly, Islanders are force

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November 4

New York Post

"Injuries limited Andy Sutton to just 23 games last season, and even though this year is only 14 games old, the defenseman already sees a difference in this group of Islanders. "Something happened partway through this season," Sutton said after practice yesterday in Syosset. "We figured out our identity, and it's showing in the way we're playing." And the Isles are getting results, bringing a four-game winning streak into Buffalo tonight. "We're making simple, hard, effective plays and being tenacious," Sutton said. "We've been pretty disciplined. I think is a young team that's getting smarter." It's also a team that might start getting recognition soon. Following their most recent ..."

Isles strike Oil! Win 4th straight

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November 3

New York Post

"Until last night, the Islanders had not been over .500 in more than a year. And Brendan Witt hadn't scored two goals since . . . ever. Well, that changed last night with another strong effort in a 3-1 win over Edmonton. Now, a season that started out with concerns that it would be a repeat of last year's 30th place nightmare is beginning to look different, thanks to a four-game winning streak -- their first since January-February of last year. "It feels good," coach Scott Gordon said. "It's something as a group we're not used to and we talked before the game about how to handle success." That was a discussion that never had to take place last year, but with production from throughout the ..."

Tambellini traces roots to Colorado

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November 1

Denver Post

columnist Terry Frei

"I've heard similar remembrances from former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies hockey players of the 1970s and '80s. "We lived off Arapahoe Road," Edmonton Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini said at Rexall Place. "There was one other development past us, and that was like the end of the city, right?" Right. In March 1981, Tambellini was a 22-year-old center when the New York Islanders traded him, plus goaltender Glenn "Chico" Resch, to the Rockies for defenseman Mike McEwen and goalie Jari Kaarela. I met Tambellini's flight to Denver, and although he said all the right things, I got the impression he was trying to convince himself that going from the defending Stanley Cup champions ..."

Upstart Isles three & easy

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November 1

New York Post

"Two weeks ago, the Islanders had lost their first six games of the season and Jeff Tambellini couldn't crack the lineup. How quickly things change. The Isles won their third straight game last night, a 5-0 victory over the Sabres that was their most convincing of the year, and Tambellini notched his first NHL hat trick. "With the way the month started, to finish .500, with three big wins against teams at the top of the conference, demonstrates that guys want it," said Martin Biron, who made 38 saves for his first win as an Islander in front of a Coliseum crowd announced at 8,889, many of whom apparently chose to dress as empty seats for Halloween. "We found the way we want to play." ..."

Sabres draw a blank against Biron, Isles

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November 1

Buffalo News

"The streaks and hot starts had to end sometime. This sure was one rough way for it to happen. The Buffalo Sabres had a frightful Halloween on Long Island, the kind of slasher flick that makes folks cringe. The New York Islanders cut them down without mercy, earning a 5-0 victory in Nassau Coliseum. "The only thing you can be disappointed with is we didn't take advantage of the offense," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We did a lot of good things. We just didn't score." The loss was the Sabres' first on the road, dropping them to 4-1 away from home this season. The defeat also halted a four-game winning streak and brought a sudden end to Ryan Miller's sizzling start. He suffered his first ..."

Islanders win, Biron gets 200th of career

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November 1

Buffalo News

"The streaks and hot starts had to end sometime. This sure was one rough way for it to happen. The Buffalo Sabres had a frightful Halloween on Long Island, the kind of slasher flick that makes folks cringe. The New York Islanders cut them down without mercy, earning a 5-0 victory in Nassau Coliseum. "The only thing you can be disappointed with is we didn't take advantage of the offense," Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. "We did a lot of good things. We just didn't score." The loss was the Sabres' first on the road, dropping them to 4-1 away from home this season. The defeat also halted a four-game winning streak and brought a sudden end to Ryan Miller's sizzling start. He suffered his first ..."

Islanders sink Caps 4-3 in OT

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October 31

Washington Times

"Mark Streit converted John Tavares' beautiful centering pass, and the New York Islanders beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 in overtime Friday night at Verizon Center. Tavares had several chances to put up points in the game, and even slammed his stick in frustration at one point, but the first pick in the 2009 draft made the key play, outworking Nicklas Backstrom and Shaone Morrisonn behind the net and feeding Streit 53 seconds into the extra session. Alex Ovechkin gave the Caps a 1-0 lead 4:41 into the first period. Washington had a four-minute power play after New York's Kyle Okposo was tagged with a double minor for high sticking, and Ovechkin's blast from the top of the offensive zone ..."

Tavares breaks through in OT to halt Caps' streak

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October 31

Washington Times

"John Tavares hit two posts, was robbed on a one-timer and thought for sure he had an assist on a beautiful backhand pass. Through 60 minutes, the latest "Next One" was one of the best players on the ice but couldn't crack the score sheet. No worries; Tavares kept working and delivered an upset for the upstart New York Islanders in overtime. Tavares hit Mark Streit with a beautiful centering pass as the Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Friday night at Verizon Center. "Good players make the plays," Caps center Brendan Morrison said. "He's a young kid, but you can tell he's highly skilled. He's going to be a good player in this league." The first pick in June's draft had ..."

Mistakes cost Capitals against lowly Islanders

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October 31

Washington Post

"For the better part of two weeks, the Washington Capitals had been eking out wins over opponents they should have beaten convincingly. On Friday night, it caught up to them on home ice against one of the league's worst clubs. The Capitals surrendered a one-goal lead late in the second period, then defenseman Mark Streit of the New York Islanders hammered a shot past goaltender José Theodore 53 seconds into overtime to hand the Capitals a humbling, miscue-riddled 4-3 defeat. The victory was only the Islanders' third of the season and it halted Washington's six-game wining streak, stunning a capacity crowd at Verizon Center. "A lot of these games we've escaped," veteran center Brendan ..."

Isles Capital-ize quickly in overtime

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October 31

New York Post

"The Islanders have quickly become experts at playing overtime. Last night, they became the first NHL team to play seven overtime games before Nov. 1. In their first six, they had just one win. Thanks to Mark Streit's goal 53 seconds into the extra period, the Islanders had their second overtime win and their third overall victory -- 4-3 over the Capitals. It was the second straight win for New York. The Islanders also ended the Capitals' winning streak at six. "We were right on the cusp of getting some wins," Isles coach Scott Gordon said. "A lot of things have been coming together." One of those things was Streit's goal. He beat Washington goalie Jose Theodore from about 10 feet for his ..."

Islanders snap Capitals winning streak

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October 31

New York Daily News

"Mark Streit scored 53 seconds into overtime to give the Islanders a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Friday night. It was the second straight win for the Isles and third of the season. The Islanders also ended the Capitals winning streak at six. Streit beat goalie Jose Theodore from about 10 feet for his second goal of the season. Seven of New York's games have gone to overtime this season. Washington lost despite dominating the action. The Capitals outshot the Islanders 40-30 and failed to convert numerous third-period scoring chances. The Capitals opened the scoring on Alex Ovechkin's NHL-high 14th goal of the season. It came late in a 4-minute high-sticking penalty on ..."

Streit kicking into high gear

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October 30

New York Post

"Mark Streit has followed up his All-Star performance from a season ago, when he scored a career-high 16 goals for the Islanders, with a slow start this season. And the 31-year-old Swiss defenseman is still trying to figure out why that's the case. "Maybe I'm trying to do a little too much out there sometimes," said Streit, who heads into tonight's game in Washington with just one goal -- and none since opening night, a span of 10 games. "I don't know why, I'm just not where I want to be," Streit said. "I'm not happy about it, but sometimes in every athlete's career, it doesn't work the way the you want it and all you can do is bury your head and keep working, do the little things right. ..."

Weight had swine flu

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October 29

New York Post

"The Islanders finally played a complete game. All it took was a visit from their arch-rivals, the return of Doug Weight from swine flu and an insurance goal from John Tavares. After winning just one game in their first 10 matches -- and none in regulation -- the Isles outplayed, outworked and outperformed the Rangers at the Coliseum in a 3-1 win last night. And they got a strong performance from Weight, who missed the previous three matches with the illness."

Isles take it to Rangers

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October 29

New York Post

"Marian Gaborik wasn't all that was missing from the Rangers in last night's 3-1 defeat to the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. For the Blueshirts, who have won only one of their last five games (1-3-1) since stringing together seven straight victories, lacked the required work ethic, hunger and toughness necessary to prevail over an opponent that appeared to want the match more than the Rangers did, that's for sure. And it was the lack of those qualities every bit as much as the absence of Gaborik, who is out with a knee injury he sustained on Monday, that undermined the Blueshirts in this one. "They competed harder in the first period, they finished their checks," Ryan Callahan said. "I ..."

Kyle Okposo's tiebreaking, power-play goal lifts New York Islanders in 3-1 win over New York Rangers

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October 29

New York Daily News

"Perhaps if Marian Gaborik had been there Wednesday night, a few of those Ranger shots find the back of the net instead of the cold iron. And perhaps that masks all the battles they lost, all the pucks they handed back in neutral ice, all the startling lack of offensive polish with their best player sidelined. Playing for the first time without their injured superstar, the Rangers turned in their most uninspired 60 minutes of the season, and the Islanders - characteristically making up in effort what they lack in firepower, at least recently in this rivalry - milked away a 3-1 victory at the Coliseum for just their second win in 11 games this season. Kyle Okposo's power-play goal with 2:14 ..."

'09 top draft picks make the cut, staying in NHL

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October 29

NHL.com

"Six players taken in the 2009 Entry Draft made their NHL team's opening-night roster. Making the League is one thing; staying there is another. But for the special six from this June's draft, they all passed their first major test. John Tavares (No. 1, Islanders), Victor Hedman (No. 2, Lightning), Matt Duchene (No. 3, Colorado), Evander Kane (No. 4, Thrashers), Dmitry Kulikov (No. 14, Panthers) and Ryan O'Reilly (No. 33, Avalanche) haven't all passed the 10-game threshold, but all have been told that they should look into permanent housing. Teams have nine games to evaluate their teenage prospects before having to make a decision on whether to keep them -- and activate their entry-level ..."

Islanders Are Ones With the Smiles

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October 29

New York Times

"The contrast was stark Wednesday night after the Islanders beat the Rangers, 3-1, to earn only their second victory of the season and their first in regulation. On one side of the corridor at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders rookie John Tavares sat at his stall, a white Islanders hard hat perched unsteadily on his head. He scored the insurance goal in the third period. "It's just a team thing that we have going on inside the locker room," Tavares said when asked about his hat. "I don't want to say too much about it." But he was smiling, clearly glad to have it on. On the other side of the corridor, Rangers Coach John Tortorella was getting progressively more irritated at reporters' ..."

Gaborik's status in doubt vs. Islanders

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October 28

New York Post

"After ending a three-game skid Monday night with a 5-2 win over the Coyotes, the Rangers will try to make it two in a row tonight against the Islanders. However, it likely will be without star forward Marian Gaborik. Gaborik, who was involved in a collision halfway through the third period Monday, sustained a lower body injury and was held out of yesterday's practice. "I couldn't see it on the tape, but he got into a collision late in the game and was a little sore, so we kept him off the ice," head coach John Tortorella said at the Rangers training facility in Greenburgh, N.Y. "It has nothing to do with his other injuries. I haven't even talked to the trainers today, but we just kept him ..."

Laich lifts Caps with goal in OT

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October 25

Washington Post

"Facing an opponent saddled with the second-lowest payroll in the NHL and just a single win in its first eight games, there was every reason to believe Alex Ovechkin and the star-laden Washington Capitals would put Saturday night's game away early. Instead, they had to work overtime. The Capitals needed a goal from minor league call-up Keith Aucoin in the final minutes of regulation and another goal from Brooks Laich one minute into extra time to beat the New York Islanders, 3-2, and headed home from a two-game road trip with four points. "We definitely didn't have the start we wanted," defenseman Mike Green said. "But this time we stayed positive. There wasn't any negativity throughout ..."

Alex the Great has Isles wary

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October 24

New York Post

"The Islanders lost plenty of games last year, but Kyle Okposo said the defeats to Washington stood out so much that he still remembers them. More significantly, he recalls what Alex Ovechkin did to the Isles in those losses. "Last year, he kind of put on a clinic against us," said Okposo, who hopes to have better success against the Capitals tonight when the Isles play host to Washington for the first time this year. "And we don't want to let that happen to us again." Ovechkin scored six goals in four games against the Isles a year ago, all of them Washington victories. Two of those wins came in overtime, courtesy of game-winners from Ovechkin. "No matter where he has the puck on the ..."

Inside the Habs' dressing room

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October 23

Montreal Gazette

"Glen Metropolit found himself in some unfamiliar territory Thursday night and it wasn't the five minutes and 13 seconds he spent on the Canadiens' power play. It was the few seconds when he returned to the ice to acknowledge the cheers of the crowd after he was named the first star in the Canadiens' 5-1 rout of the New York Islanders. "I don't know if I've ever had one," Metropolit said when asked how long it had been since he was the first star. Metropolit turned in a yeoman effort as he logged 18:15, picked up a pair of assists and won five of his seven faceoffs. It was all the more amazing because he was returning to the lineup after missing six games with a rib injury. His presence ..."

Gionta sets tone for Canadiens

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October 23

Montreal Gazette

"Ah, ain't life grand, finally. How sweet it must feel for your Canadiens to win their first game in regulation, 5-1, with the goals coming from five different players - three among the five scoring their first of the season. All this after the Habs failed to get a shot in the first seven minutes of the game and then delivered two goals on 15 shots for the rest of the period. One reason could be that the Islanders, who won their first game of the season in a 4-3 shootout over Carolina 24 hours earlier, looked every inch like the team that finished No. 30 last season in a league where no more than 20 turn up to play night after night. Mark Streit was one of the very few bright lights on the ..."

Canadiens club Islanders 5-1

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October 23

Montreal Gazette

"Glen Metropolit made up for lost time Thursday night. Metropolit returned to the Habs' lineup after missing six games with a rib injury and he collected a pair of assists to help the Canadiens to a 5-1 win over the New York Islanders. It took the Habs six minutes to muster the first shot on goal, but Scott Gomez gave Montreal a 1-0 lead when he beat Martin Biron at 7:55 of the first period. Jaroslav Spacek's shot from the blue line was blocked before it reached Biron and Gomez picked up the loose puck and scored his second goal of the season. While Metropolit has made a career of toiling on the third and fourth lines, coach Jacques Martin hasn't been reluctant to use him on the power play. ..."

Ex-Sabres are given the business

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October 23

Buffalo News

"Martin Biron is a confident guy, but doubts started to invade his brain. He had 59 wins over the previous two seasons, plus solid playoff performances. At 32 years old, he was still in his prime for an NHL goalie. Yet week after week this summer, he waited for a team to call and say it wanted him. He kept waiting, from July 1 until July 22, when the New York Islanders finally rang him up. "Middle of July you're starting to think that you're basically no good anymore, and that's a tough part," Biron said. "In a month you go from thinking you're going to be one of the top free agents to thinking, "Man, what's going on?' " Biron received a sobering introduction to free agency in the ..."

Islanders earn first victory in shootout win over Carolina Hurricanes

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October 22

New York Daily News

"Finally there was something to celebrate at the Nassau Coliseum Wednesday night. Top draft pick John Tavares scored the winning goal of the shootout as the Islanders won their first game of the season, 4-3, over the Hurricanes. "It's my first time to get a win at this level, it's great," Tavares said. "It's great for everybody. We've worked so hard, and there were so many games we deserved to win, but to finally to get it, now we can just focus on getting the next one." It was the first win for the Islanders (1-3-3) since April 4, when they beat the Lightning, 3-1, before losing their final four games to finish 26-47-9 last season. That NHL-worst record got them got them the top pick of ..."

Isles savor 1st 'w'

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October 22

New York Post

"John Tavares took the ice during last night's shootout with a chance to seal the Islanders' first win of the season after six games without one. It's one of the reasons the Isles tabbed the 19-year-old with the first pick in June's draft, and last night, at least, he didn't disappoint, scoring the team's third goal of the shootout to give them a 4-3 win over Carolina at the Coliseum. "I tried to think back when I was a kid with no pressure, go out and have fun," said Tavares, who had missed his only other shootout attempt this season. This time, he beat Cam Ward up high, and the Isles (1-3-3) finally escaped with a victory after blowing a 3-1 lead late in the third period. "I'm sure it's ..."

Isles turn to Nielsen

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October 21

New York Post

"Frans Nielsen missed the Islanders' first six games -- and much of training camp -- with a knee injury, so he has a different perspective on the team's winless start to the season. "You want to make a difference," the center said. "It's the worst. It [stinks] sitting up there [and not playing]. There's nothing you can do.""

Sharks beat winless Islanders, 4-1

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October 18

New York Post

"The loudest cheer at the sparsely filled Nassau Coliseum last night came when the scoreboard showed Derek Jeter's home run against the Angels. And at the end of the latest Islanders' loss, a 4-1 defeat to the Sharks, what was left of the crowd booed. That's what happens when a team doesn't win through its first six games, which is how the Isles have started this season. "It's the same thing every game," Martin Biron said after the team fell to 0-3-3. "I'm tired of doing the same things. At some point, we're gonna have to respond to that and find that thing that makes us win games." Once again, the Isles showed flashes of solid play, outshining the Sharks throughout the first period. They ..."

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